In an Artist's Studio

Word count: 254

" Not as she is, but was when hope shone bright;

Not as she is, but as she fills his dream."


In this quote, we recognize that the man is the artist that is painting a beautiful woman. However, he views and paints her in a more beautiful manner that does not reflect how she is then but how she was when she was hopeful and how he saw her in his dreams. In the painting mentioned in the poem, the woman is objectified in a way that she is always perfect in the painting and he leaves out her imperfections as she naturally is. The symbolism of the painting is of a perfect woman but that does not reflect how women truly were in the past. Women still had beautiful imperfections and how they may look naturally may reflect a part of their personality that a beautiful, flawless painting may not. The woman that the man is painting is idealized by this man as he sees her beauty and the kindness in her eyes that he hopes to reflect in his painting of her. However, this poem is very short and is not able to encompass much about this woman and what she is like besides her beauty. There is no real identity given to this woman besides the idea of her beauty. This poem may be a social commentary as Christini Rosetti, a woman, is writing about how women are viewed and treated in society as idealized and only seen for their beauty.


Comments

  1. Isabelle ErnstMarch 2, 2021 at 7:23 AM

    I feel as though most women during this time period were only seen for their beauty and those attributes. When seeking a wife, men are first to look for looks rather than personality. When the painter is making his painting he is envisioning his ideal dream girl, not the woman that is in front of him. This is because standards for looks were much higher during this time period because true love was not as important when it came to marriage. Looks and wealth were the main assessment.

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